A-Rod back in the lineup

Life without Alex Rodriguez ends this weekend in Minnesota.

The instant Rodriguez returns, he will be joining a lineup that has been hitting at a high level during his monthlong recovery from knee surgery.

When Rodriguez was placed on the DL on July 10, the Yankees had a .258 team batting average. Through Tuesday, they are hitting .292, have scored 193 runs and hit 35 home runs, while stealing 39-of-45 bases.

The Yankees have won 21 of their last 32 games despite losing their cleanup hitter. Rodriguez will return on pace for 18 home runs and 70 RBI, though he was playing with a sore knee.

“It makes our lineup so much deeper,” Mark Teixeira said Sunday. “It makes our bench deeper. It just gives us more options late in games, or maybe if we need to rest a guy here or there.”

During life without A-Rod, every Yankee regular increased his batting average.

“A lot of guys have stepped up and swung the bats extremely well, but adding Al back, he can help out any team,” Derek Jeter said.